Brooder for chicks



June 8, 1937. D TQLLEY ET AL 2,082,990

BROODER FOR CHICKS Filed March 11, 1936 INVENTORS. flow/940 3. TOLLE'K DEM f) /1. ///1.:..

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 8, 1937 1tBROODERaFORGHICKSr-- l DonaldiB} Dewitt l iill, K okoniol ik a e We This invention relates to "improvements in brooders for: chicks, particularly that type using" an oil burner. In such brooders,it-has been .the' practice to provide a central heating drum having an oil burner in the bottom thereof with which'a feed pipe and an overflow pipe communicates. The drum issupported' above the floor; by suitable legs andis surroundedbyianizouh wardly and downwardly extending canopy under which the chicks may huddle for warmth.

It is the object of this invention toprovide a brooder of simplified constructionbut of greater efliciency both as to heating qualities; andzheat control, as well as assembly. t i

One "feature. of L the invention: resides: in the; provision bf' a baffleifor directing heat from theburner to certain: preferredwportion's of the wall of thedrum'. -=It is, ofcourse; desirable that-the. heat be directedoutwardly toward the wall oi": the drumrather than allowed toimpingeagainst the top since it is the purpose: of the heater-to heat the side walls un'derrthes. canopy so that the heat will be deflected downwardlythereby where the chicks are brooding. -,.-:It is r'also dee- 5 sirable that the heat be evenly distributed about the wall of the drum so that a substantially uniform temperature will be maintainedgat all points about its circumference, thus inducing an even, uncrowded condition among the; chicks. This is accomplished by interposing a bafiie plate between the burner and the flue outlet inthe heating drum so arranged that the heated gases must pass through apertures located at spaced intervals about the plate and adjacent'to'the outer wall of the drum, such apertures being so located with respect to the flue as tosecure the desired uniform distribution of heat. In our experimental work, we have found it impractical to provide a narrow gapbetween theedge of the baffle plate and the drum wall because such a gap inclines to fill up gradually with soot and carbon from the burner. This is especially true when the baffle is mounted somewhat/eccentric to the drum' so as to presentya graduated gap 5 with its widest openinglying opposite the flue opening. i y

Another feature of: the invention resides in the provision of an inner drumto provide a ,dead air chamberforpreventing direct impingement of the heated gasesagainst the .top of the drum but permitting ready access to the interior: of the heater and burner for inspection and clean-iv ing through the removal of the top cover. ;Thus; said drum prevents the rapid circulation of heated gases from thevburner'and impingement .which the usual flue I9 is attached. Positioned Ind., assigno'rs to Globe American Corporation,

Application-Martian, 1936, sedative. 6%,176 fizpiiinsl 1(01, 126 92 thereof against the'top of the'drum, whence itv would berapidly dissipated upwardly withthe consequent decrease in the side wall tempera-1 tures and loss .in brooding efliciency. By r6371 son of the inner drum structure, the heated gases;v 5

will be understood from the accompanying'draw 10-- mg and thefollowing description and claims: Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the brooder'with parts thereof shown in elevation" Fig. 2. is a section taken on the line 2-21of Fig.1: t r Fig. *3 is a section taken on the linew33 of}. Fig.1. i "m :I

Fig; 4 is a centralxvertical sectionthroughias portion of the baffle plate, inner drum and lid partially removed u l 1 a w: In the drawing, there. is illustrated a brooder. having: an annular drum heater providedwith. peripherals'ide walls 10, akbottom ll and-atop l2; The heating idrum is supported above the; floor by legs l3andris surrounded by a down-: w'ardlyandoutwardly-extending canopy M. The canopy is supported by an annular ring 15 which; is apertured at It to receivea hinge member ll: Thus thevcanopy may be swung about the hinge. member 1i! .to a raised positionfor inspection, cleaning, etc, 2 i At 'what may'betermed the rearof-the. drum, and positioned-adjacent the hinged mem ber 11 in the top 12, there is a flue outlet l8 to within the heater there is provided a baflle plate 20 which is formed with a central opening and a plurality of :apertures 2t formed about the outer; edge adjacent thelwall of the heating drum. Said aperturesgare particularly positioned to. control and direct the passage of-heated gases, fromdheburner to the flue. For this purpose, the apertures 2 are particularly spaceduabout the baffle withrespect to the flue. Thus, there are no apertures aboutthat portion of the bafiie on the side of the flue vopening. Substantially spaced from that portion of the bafiie directly under the flue, there is a single aperture on each side. In the portion of the baffle directly opposite the flue, there are threeclosely associated apertures. and, intermediate the three apertures and the single apertures on each side, there aregroups of two apertures. The posi-i tioning'and spacing of, the apertures are importantqin that the heated gases must pass there through to reach the flue and, by reason of the spacing with respect to the flue, the heated gases will be evenly distributed about the side walls of the heating drum, which comprise the portion thereof desired to be efficiently heated.

In order to prevent the heated gases passing directly upward from the burner to the top of the drum and out theflue, and to provide an insulating dead air space centrally of the drum and cause the gases to travel only through the apertures particularly positioned for that purpose in the baflle, there is provided an inner drum. Said inner drum has a bottom 22,'a peripheral wall 23 and a top 24. It isadapted to be positioned within the heating drum. and removable therefrom by mounting within the opening left in the top l2 of the drum and the openingin the baflle 20. Said inner drum is provided with central openings in both the bottom and top, but the wall 23 thereof entirely closes off any passageway to the flue I9'other than through the apertures 2| in the baffle; The central-opening is provided in the inner drum to permit removal therethrough of the flamespreader 25 by means of a cleaner rod 26 and cleaner pipe 21. x

A top lid 28 is mounted upon the cleaner rod for closing the central opening in the top 24 of the inner drum. Thus, the heating drum' is covered-by its immovable top l2, the top 24 of the inner drum and the lid 28. By reasonof the inner drum construction, ready access can be obtained to the burner for cleaning the same through removal of the lid 28. Removal of the inner drum allows access to be had to the entire inner surface of the heating drum forcleaning and inspection. At the same time, the inner drum provides a-d'ead air space since the heated gases passing through the central opening therein are trapped within the walls 22, 23; .24 and '28, and, while some heat is lost-due to conduction, no appreciable flow .of heated gases occurs. Consequently, the entrapped gases in 'the'cinner drum' will serve somewhat 'as'aninsulating medium to prevent excessive heat being generated from the top of the heating drum. :However, I do not wish to be confined to the construction detailed above, as exactly thesame results can be secured, without any removablymounted inner drum, by positioning a peripheral wall or drum between the baffle plate and the top, said wall or drum having a diameter substantially larger than-said central openings in both top and baflle;

Theburner body comprises a casting secured to and supported upon the bottom H of the heating drum. Said casting comprises an outer ring 30 which supports an inner annular oil cup 3| by spaced ribs '32. "A burner ring 33 is seated within the annular oil cup 3| above which the flame spreader 'l25-is positioned. On one side of the oil cup there is cast therewith a pipe coupling 34 upon which there is connect'ed'an overflow cup 35 through ashort pipe coupling 36. The overflow cup has an offset enlargement which is connected with the overflow'pip'e 31, the short pipe coupling 36 being directly connected through the overflow cup, but not communicating therewith, with an inlet pipe 38.

Supported by the legs l3 below the bottom ll of the burner drum, there is a combined heat deflector or shield and drip pan 39, said shield being spaced from the bottom H to provide an insulating dead air space therebetween and prevent the space below the'burner under which the chicks may huddle from being excessively heated by the bottom ll of the burner drum. Substantially centrally of the shield but slightly off center, there is a concave portion 40 which serves as a drip pan and through the center of which the short pipe coupling 36 projects, said concave portion being so positioned with respect to the burner as to catch any overflow of oil therefrom and cause it to enter the overflow cup 35 so as to escape through the overflow pipe 31. ;By reason of this construction, the inlet pipe 38 may be conveniently connected and disconnected from the overflow cup as well as from the overflow pipe,xsuch connections and disconnections being .made below the burner drum and shield 39. This arrangement is mostdesirable for convenience in connecting and disconnecting the brooder from the oil pipe connections.

Inorder that the desired temperature may be maintained within the brooder canopy, the oil inlet pipe 38 is caused to extend upwardly through an aperture "4-! in that side of the canopy oppositetheflue. Secured on theinner side o1 the upstanding portion of the inlet pipe there is provided a bracket 42sup'porting thermostatic wafer 43; the bracket and wafer'extending'well within the outer periphery of the canopy. Mounted upon the upper: end of the pipe and exteriorly of the canopy there is a control valve mechanism comprising a sight feed 44, a shut-off valve 45 and a thermostatically operated valve rod 46, the rod 46 being actuated by a thermostatic control lever 41 which is in turn actuated by the thermostaticallyactuated rod. 48, said rod being adjustable with .riespect'to the lever 41 by reason of the screw threads and thumb nut 49. The valve lever is shieldedbya cover :5lland its control is limited by maximum; andiminimum set screws 5| Through this means, the temperature of the air within the canopy may be automatically controlled through a thermostatically controlled oil valve conveniently positioned exteriorly of the canopy. Such adjustments and observations may be made .at a convenient outside position for control of the heat iinten'orly of the canopy.

The invention claimed is: v

1. An oil burning heating drum for brooders,

including an oil burner mounted in the bottom of the drum, a flue opening adjacent the'periphery thereof, a bafile plate mounted within said drum intermediate the top and bottom having an opening 'therethrough for permitting access to the burner from the top of the drum, said plate being provided with a plurality of apertures so located relative to the flue that the combined areas thereof are progressively increased with the increase in distance from said flue, and an inner drum positioned above the balile plate within the heating 'drum having an annular peripheral wall extending from the baflle plate to the top of the drum for closing thespace therebetween to prevent direct passage of gases from the. burner through the opening in the ballle to the flue.

2. An oil burning heating drum for brooders, including an oil'burner mounted in the bottom of the drum, a flue opening from the top adjacent the periphery thereof, a baffle plate mounted within said drum spaced from the top and bottom thereof and secured to the cylindrical wall, said baffle plate having a central opening and a plurality of passages surrounding said central opening through whichhot gases may pass to said flue, aninner cylindrical drum co-extensive with the opening in said 'baflie plate and positioned thereabove provided with top and bottom plates 5 opening in the top plate of said drum, the bottom plate of said drum being adapted to close the opening in said baflle plate whereby the products of combustion may pass directly upwardly through the passages in said bafile and about the wall of said drum to the flue, said drum providing a dead air space for insulating the top of the heating drum.

DONALD B. TOLLEY. DEWEY H. HILL. 

